Power Rangers: Shadows and Light
by SarasimStark
Summary: When evil threatens Midwich, a team of rangers consisting of an old warrior and three new ones must arise to defend it. But working together isn't as easy as it sounds.
1. Chapter 1

Midwich is an average community, cloistered on two sides by thick, dense forests. It is located in Northern California so its weather more resembles that of Oregon rather than the sunny, beach-covered image most people have when they think of California. It was founded years ago, by religious separatists looking to escape the hedonism of the gold rush, but now it serves to attract the outdoor aficionados who come attracted by the beautiful scenery and the off-beat who come attracted by the gothic architecture prominent in the town. The townspeople tend to regard both groups with suspicion even as it depends on them for tourism dollars.

Yet look far enough and it won't take you long to find the terrible secret that scars this little town. It is located in a place once known as Breed's Hill, now better known as the place of sacrifice. Nineteen years ago, four warriors faced a demon king on that spot. Only one lived to tell the tale. Ever since, Breed's Hill, formerly a lush, verdant forest, is now a gray burnt-out scab of a wasteland, an ugly spot on an otherwise beautiful community that steadfastly refuses to go away. The names of the three warriors, who died, Micah Thames, Hanna and James Wyrek, were lauded and the four, given burials befitting that of heroes, but the name of the fourth warrior, only one to walk away from the fight, remains a mystery forever gossiped about by townspeople and journalists. Who was the fourth warrior, the one who dealt the final blow to the demon king? No one has come to any satisfactory conclusions. All anyone can conclude for certain from witness reports is that the fourth warrior is female. Anything else is pure speculation which shall not be indulged in here.

I act only to present as accurate an account as I can of the second war over Midwich, with only a few liberties taken to properly fill in the gaps of knowledge. I commit this account before the eyes of the All-Father and the council of man. May they judge this account worthy and true.


	2. Chapter 2

Julian sighed as his brother hopped around on the floor. "So whaddya think? Whaddya think?" he asked over and over again. "Do you think that Mrs. Minchin will be as nice as Ms. Honey?"

"I don't know, Jake," Julian said, as he flipped the pancakes he was preparing. "I never had Mrs. Minchin." He tried not to sound too frustrated with Jake, though his enthusiasm was getting on his last nerve. Jake was only six, and still young enough that the world hadn't thoroughly beaten away any enthusiasm he might have for school. "Just you wait though," he muttered. "It won't be long."

Julian felt no excitement about the oncoming year, even though this year he was to be a senior. All he felt was a sense of relief. Another year and he'd be able to leave Midwich behind. Leave behind Midwich and its small-minded, bigoted people.

The source of his misery lay in the man whose photo was kept on his mother's nightstand: his father. It had been his father who had transformed himself into the demon king known as Umbrus, and it had been his father who tried to conquer Midwich all those years. His father had carved out an unforgettable legacy in Midwich and his legacy had passed onto Julian, who had the misfortune not only to share his looks but his name as well. Julian Daniels, Julian Daniels. How strange that his own name could be the source of so much fear and misery.

If there was any hope that he could escape his father's reputation, it had been killed when his mother had chose to name him after his late father. His mother steadfastly refused to talk about her affair with the demon king, nor offer any explanation as to why she had chosen to dub him with his father's moniker, save to say that he was a sweet, kind man.

It didn't help that he had his father's looks as well. Julian had spent hours staring at the photo his mother kept by his bed side, trying to look for anything that would distinguish himself from his father, to no avail. The resemblance between him and his late father was so close, it was practically uncanny. He was his father, right down the olive complexion, black hair, and strange eyes.

He sighed as he flipped the last of the pancakes onto the plate. Normally, he didn't do much when preparing breakfast for him and his brother but since it was the first day of school, he'd thought he'd put in a little effort. His mom was still in bed, sleeping off the effects of her late shift, so he didn't save anything for her. She'd eat when she was good and ready.

His mind still recalled the talk she had given when they had finally moved into their new apartment. They had been eating takeout Chinese when she brought it up. "Excuse me," she had said in that whispery voice of hers. "I have to tell you that in order to pay for this new apartment, Mama had to take on another job, so some nights, Mama will have to work very late." She stared at him, her brown eyes focused and serious. "Julian, on those nights, Mama is going to need you to take charge and look after your brother. You're a good responsible boy, so I can trust you to take good care of the place, okay?"

He nodded. He frankly didn't see the reason she would have to take on a third job to fund this apartment: it looked no different from the others he had lived in. Same crappy neighbourhood, bordering the Beecher district, with the same greasy, fat landlord who gave them grief about how the other tenants complained about kids. He swore that everywhere he had lived there had been the same landlord, and he wondered if they just grew them in test tubes or something. Still, it wasn't like he wasn't already used to looking after himself and Jake.

As soon as they had finished eating, he took the dishes and rinsed them in the sink before hustling Jake out the door. The school bus didn't go by their neighbourhood, so they had to leave early so they could walk to school, which was fine with Julian. He liked school in the early morning when it was empty and peaceful. Besides his idea of a good working definition of hell was to be stuck in a yellow, gasoline-filled can with the sociopathic creeps they called his classmates.

Most of his concerns this morning were centered on Jake. Jake was really too smart for first grade; he had taught himself to read when he was two and had recently made it through the Harry Potter series. He had done well in Kindergarten primarily because after he'd completed his Kindergarten work, Ms. Honey would give him other work to do to keep him from getting bored. He hoped Mrs. Minchin would be so understanding. Either way, all he asked was that everything goes well so that they don't have to have any of those long drawn-out parent-teacher conferences that end with his mother storming out in a huff to go get drunk.

He dropped Jake at the elementary school, then crossed the dirt backroad until he came to Midwich High. Then he opened the door and slipped into what he thought of as his sanctum sanctorum: the library. There he read until the bell rang for his first class.


	3. Chapter 3

Marcus stubbed the toe of his sneaker listening as it squeaked against the tile floor. Strange, how a building could shrink in only four years. Four years ago, when he had been a freshman, Midwich High seemed enormous. Now it seemed puny, almost pathetic in a way.

He navigated his way through the halls. Already people were crowded around lockers, testing their combinations, but most of them were simply catching up, chatting about summer vacation. He muttered "Hello" to the few people who waved at him, as he scanned the hallways, searching for his friend, Hayden.

Finally he found Hayden in the middle of the commons, chatting with a bunch of girls. Marcus rolled his eyes. Figures he'd be surrounded by girls on the first day. Idly, he wondered how they survived when Hayden was away during the summer visiting his dad.

Hayden waved at him. "Hey Marcus, come here." He turned to the girls gathered around him. "Sorry but I'd like to hang with my best friend if you don't mind." The girls pouted and walked away.

After a summer spent in Hawaii with his dad, Hayden looked great. He was tanned, and his straw-blond hair was even lighter. Meanwhile, Marcus had spent his summer working the fry vats at Burger Boy and he had nothing to show for it except for a little spending cash and a lifelong hatred of fast food. "Hey," he said as he waved to Hayden. Hayden leaned forward and smiled. "So how was your summer?" he asked.

"Don't ask. Let's just say if I ever see another burger again, it'll be too soon. So let me guess, Hawaii was great this year." Not that it probably wasn't great every time of the year.

Hayden smiled. "Yeah, it was pretty cool." He was never one to brag no matter how hard he was pushed.

"Meet any girls?"

"A few," he said, his smile indicating that he had met more than just a few girls. "So come on, let's see your schedule already. I want to know if we have any classes together this term." They unfolded their schedules and compared. "Great, we've only got English together. Oh well at least we've got that creaky old bat, Miss Grinchley, so things ought to be a little interesting." Miss Grinchley was something of a legend among the students due to her flightiness.

"Actually we don't have Miss Grinchley this year," Marcus said.

"What?! What happened?"

"Apparently batty ol' Miss Grinchley finally went over the edge, so we're not going to have her this year."

"Damn. We could have gotten away with so much in that class. I guess it's like that poem we read last year, about how nothing gold can stay. So who do we have instead?"

"I dunno. They haven't announced who's replacing her yet." The bell rang. Marcus slung his bag on his shoulder. "Anyway, we'd better get to class. Don't want to be late on the first day."

The two friends walked to class and took their seats inside. Though the news of Miss Grinchley's unexpected retirement and the reasons why were hot gossip among the students, the attitude of the room was light-hearted and casual. Miss Grinchley's laissez faire attitude was legendary among the students and though her departure had given them some room for pause, the attitude was still generally one of confidence. After all, how bad could it possibly be?

As soon as the last bell rang, the door swung open and in stepped their new teacher. He was tall, built like bouncer, with a marine-style haircut and wire-rim glasses. He was the type whom if you were to punch him, you'd likely break your hand in the process. As soon as he cast his gaze upon the room, all chattering ceased. Everyone stared as he made his way to the chalkboard.

"Hello, I am Dr. Richard Ducard," he said. His greeting was not one of friendliness; nearly every student could read the underlying threat that waited in those simple words, like a snake in the grass. Here was a man who felt neither pain nor mercy. "You will address me as Dr. Ducard and nothing else. I understand that your last teacher was a rather flighty creature; rest assured, I am none of those things." The students did not need to be told that; they could tell in his stiff, coiled demeanor that they could not get away with anything with him as they had with Miss Grinchley. "I will not bother to explain the rules to be followed in this classroom; you are all nearly adults and are old enough to know better. Now first things first; let's get you seated properly." He was as militaristic as his demeanor, insisting that all desks face forward and that everyone sit in alphabetical order. As soon as everyone had settled into their new seats, he walked up and down the rows, dropping a thick booklet on each desk. "As a special treat for the first day, I thought we'd have a little test just to see how much information I'll be forced to cram into your empty little skulls. You have until the end of the class period, now begin." Everyone stifled a groan as they opened their booklets. Marcus sighed as he stared at the clock. It was going to be a long semester.

Tatiana Wyrek stared at her water glass as her blind date droned on and on. It was times like this that made her want to reconsider her vow against drinking. Certainly getting smashed beyond all reason would at least make things less boring.

She didn't know why she allowed people to set her up on blind dates. No matter what they always ended in disappointment. Apparently at her age, all the good catches are taken, leaving her stuck with self-important bores.

She nodded a few times, pretending to be interested in what he had to say, but the more she tried to pay attention, the more she found her mind wandering back to nineteen years ago. She didn't know why—she was never one to revisit the past—but for some reason, the events of that year were never far from her thoughts. "Micah..." she whispered.

"Excuse me?" her date said.

She blushed and mumbled out an excuse. Her date quickly resumed his long droning account on banking or mathematics, she wasn't sure which. She had ceased paying attention ages ago. She drummed her fingers on the table absentmindedly, silently praying for something to interrupt this date, an asteroid, a flood, anything.

Her eyes went wide as she felt it, the glow of her crystal. It was like the steady thump of a drum, slowly pounding at all her senses until all she was aware of was its glowing. She raised a hand to the collar of her blouse, her mind reeling.

"Tatiana? Is something the matter?" her date asked.

"It's my cell phone. I'm afraid I have to take a call." She raced for the ladies room, not bothering to stick around to find out if he bought her excuse or not. She shut herself inside a stall and lifted the crystal from under her blouse. It was glowing, there was no denying it. She could feel the Phoenix spirit communicating with her through the lump of white crystal, calling to her like it had all those years ago.

"No," Tatiana mumbled. The world seemed to sway beneath her. She raised a hand to steady herself. "Not again." Not another war. But she knew well what the crystal was telling her; the Host had reawakened and was on the move.

She ran out of the bathroom, flung some money at her date in order to cover for dinner, and left the restaurant. She hopped into the car and tore out of the parking lot as fast as she legally could, and sped off in the direction of the cemetery.

If her crystal had awakened, that meant the others had as well. If she hurried, there was still time; she could stop it from happening again. She parked her car and tore through the cemetery until she reached a familiar spot.

She collapsed against the stones, breathing hard. Her finger traced the name etched onto the stone: Micah Thames. For a second, her heart pounded hard in her chest and she could feel tears come to her eyes, but she forced them back. Not now, tears won't do her any good. If she was going to affect anything, she needed sweat, not tears. "Micah," she whispered. "What would you have me do?" But there was no answer, only the sound of wind as it stirred through the trees. She rummaged around the tombstones, frantically searching for the crystals, but there was nothing. A hard lump rose in her throat; she raised a hand to her throat in an attempt to hide it. What if the spirits had already sought out their avatars? She let out a low moan. Already she could feel the spirits weaving the delicate tapestry of threads that would form the psychic link and bind her to whoever they had chosen to be the new rangers.

"No," she muttered. She would rebel. She was not going to let another group of kids suffer as she had. She would find the crystals, take them back, then slaughter whatever monster had risen to conquer. She'd defeated the enemy before; she could do it again. "I won't let it happen again," she said, clutching a handful of dirt from the graves. "No more deaths, not anymore." Then she took off in pursuit of the crystals.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Notes: Italics indicate thought-speak.

She felt the link knit together and knew what she must do: she must build her walls. No way was she going to let her innermost thoughts be privy to a bunch of hormonally poisoned teenagers. She built her walls carefully, directing the streams of thought like water through channels, until at last she had it all sealed nice and tight.

It would be simply enough to find the kids; thanks to the link, she already knew everything she needed to know about them. The trouble was how was she going to get the crystals from them? She couldn't very well go up to them and start babbling about crystals and mythical beasts; they'd think she was out of her head. She also couldn't fight dirty and take their crystals while they slept. The rules were very clear: she could not use the crystals' powers unless she bested them in battle or if they surrendered them to her of their own free will. This gave her a little comfort: after all, the enemy too, was bound by the same rules as she. But she placed little faith in the enemy's ability to follow rules. After all, they may very well decide to just butcher them like pigs and take the crystals solely to keep anyone else from using them. It would be just like them to do so and if she had thought of it, so had they. She had better find the kids quick.

She sighed as she thought of the kids, out there living their normal lives, little knowing how much danger they were in. "Be careful," she whispered, as she drove all over town.

* * *

It came to him first. Julian sat in math class, listening to the teacher. At first he took notes and tried to follow along, but after awhile he became aware of something, like a steady drone or a hum. At first it was barely noticeable but after awhile it became louder and louder. He could feel something happening inside his something stirring, something opening up. Then the noise began.

_ManIcan'tbelieveDucardgaveushomeworkonthefirstdayIhopeMoralesgivesmefirstchairI'vebeenpracticingall summer. _

On and on, a constant stream of words, words, words. Constant voices chattering in his head. He could not hear anything else over the din of it.

He clutched his ears as he looked around the room, his head throbbing from listening to so much speech. No one else seemed bothered by it. They were listening and/or alternately, pretending to listen to the teacher. Where was this noise coming from? Was there a speaker hidden in the room? 

_CheckoutthatblondeinthethirdrowIhopeIdookayinpracticeGreatmoredatestomemorizeCouldhistorybeanymoreboring_

He gritted his teeth. So much noise, noise, noise. Finally he couldn't handle it anymore and ran out of the room. Part of the perks of being his father's son meant that he was forever the bad kid, so he was able to slip out of the room without being stopped.

He ran down the hallway and shut himself inside the boys' room. He grabbed onto one of the sinks and started washing his face as though he could wash out whatever was in his head. He stared at himself in the mirror, the water dripping from his face. _Okay, get a grip, _he thought. _There must be a logical explanation for all this. Low blood sugar, the aftereffects of the cafeteria meatloaf, anything..._Anything except the most obvious explanation: he was going crazy.

He knew it was bound to happen. Given that his father was crazy as a loon and his mother was never the most balanced of individuals, craziness wasn't just written into his genetic code, it was engraved. He supposed he was fated to go crazy but still his mind reeled at the injustice of it all. "Couldn't it have waited until I was twenty-one, so I could at least drink?" He moaned and hit his head against the mirror.

If he sat and listened long enough, he could discern a pattern to the voices. He knew two of them, Hayden Crenshaw and Marcus Hawkins. They had been in at least one of his classes since kindergarten, though what they were doing in his head, he didn't know. There was also a woman's voice—he could not identify her except to say that she was a woman. He tried to follow her stream of thought in hopes of identifying her, but whenever he came close, a cold wall kept him at bay.

There was also a fourth voice and this one frightened him the most. It was an ancient voice, of someone very long lived, someone as old as time, but there was also a distinctly feral, beastly tinge to it. It spoke to him. _Julian..._ That was all it said, that was all it took before he felt his world shatter beneath him, and he blacked out.

He woke hours later when school was over. He groaned as he clutched his head. His head throbbed from lying on the cold, tile floor. He checked his watch. It was past time to pick up his brother from school. He scrambled to his feet and headed for the doors, the voices still echoing in his head. Maybe he was going crazy, but he was still sane enough to know it; the question was what to do now? Well for now, he was going to do what he had to do. He had too many responsibilities to turn his back on just because he's going crazy.

He found Jake waiting for him at the elementary school, just like he was supposed to. He grabbed Jake and took him home, pretending all the way to listen to Jake's birdlike chatter about school. When he got home, the apartment was empty. He slung his stuff on the couch and made his way to the fridge. Taped to the fridge was a note, scrawled in his mother's loopy handwriting.

"Dear Julian," It read. "Mama is going to be working late tonight. Please take care of yourself and your brother. Love, Mama."

He sighed. Of all the nights, she had to be gone. Oh well. He reached into the pantry and started on Mac and Cheese. Maybe after dinner, everything will make sense.

* * *

It was the dead of night when he heard his cell go off. Marcus groaned and rolled out of bed. Not that he had been able to get much sleep anyway, but still the shrillness of the phone threw him off guard and with all the noise in head, it was like jabbing daggers at his skull. He picked it up. "Who is it?" He moaned. 

"Didn't you check the caller ID? It's me, Hayden."

"Oh." He didn't know whether to be reassured or dismayed by the sound of his voice. Right now, all Marcus wanted more than anything in the world was peace and quiet. _So what's this all about? _He felt the thought slip through his hands like a silver fish, down a long braided path.

"I was just hoping I could talk to you about, well, everything." Marcus blanched. Hayden had heard him but how?

"I'm not entirely sure either. I heard it in my head."

"Will you stop doing that? It's really freaking me out."

"Sorry, but I can't. I keep hearing your thoughts and someone else's thoughts and the thoughts of that Daniels's kid and this whole thing is really starting to cheese me off."

Marcus breathed a sigh of relief. So he wasn't alone. Maybe he was going crazy but at least he wasn't going crazy alone. "What do you think is happening to us?"

"I don't know," Hayden said. "I feel different, though. Something's happening to us but I'm not exactly sure what."

"Have you told your mom?"

"No. I don't want her to think I'm crazy. I mean I know this all sounds crazy, but I don't feel crazy. Though maybe that's just what a crazy person would say."

"I know what you mean, Hayden. I didn't tell mine either for the exact same reason. I don't want to find myself living like the guys in _One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest._" There was a long pause. "So what do we do?" Hayden asked.

"I don't know; I haven't thought that far." Merely getting through the day had seemed like enough of an accomplishment to Marcus.

"You know what I think? I think we need to pump that Julian kid for some answers."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because I hear his stupid voice in my head and because we all know his old man was involved in some pretty freaky shit back in the day. Maybe he knows something."

"And maybe he's as clueless as the rest of us."

"But we can't rule out the possibility that he knows something. Maybe this is some sick kind of Daniels family joke he's pulling, in which case, we'll kick his ass back to next week."

"Let's not approach it like that." Marcus had never been one for conflict, even though Julian Daniels gave him the creeps. "Look, we'll just go up to him and ask a few questions, find out if he knows anything. If he does, fine. If not, then I guess we are crazy as loons."

"Can we play good cop, bad cop, with him? If so, I call dibs on being the bad cop."

"Hayden, for the last time, we are not playing good cop, bad cop. We're just going to approach him friendly and go from there."

"Okay, I guess." There was a long pause in which the only sound was of them breathing and the voices chattering in their heads. "Hey Marcus?"

"What?"

"Did you find anything strange in your backpack?"

"Strange how?"

"Just humour me and check."

Marcus sighed as he rummaged in the dark for his backpack. Once he found it, he began digging through the front pockets. As he dug through his pens and pencils, he felt his hand come upon something cold. He pulled it out and turned on his bedside light to check it.

It was a lump of blue crystal attached to a gold chain. He turned, studying it over and over again in the dim light. _What the heck is going on here? _

"I really don't know," Hayden said. "Either this is some seriously elaborate practical joke or something serious is at work here. I'm not sure which."

"So what did you find?"

"Same as you, a crystal, except mine was yellow. I found it on the dash of my car and I know I didn't put it there."

Marcus rubbed his thumb against the crystal. There was power hidden in it; he could feel it at work. But whether it was good or bad, he couldn't say. "Hayden, what's happening to us?"

"I don't know. As cliché, as it sounds, I just don't know."


	5. Chapter 5

The lunch bell had rung only a few minutes ago, but already the students had settled into their various enclaves. It was a strange clique system that ruled Midwich High, one that was inferred rather than written, but it wasn't as homogenized as the teachers thought. The groups were not segmented into rigid castes, but were able to mingle and mix as they saw fit. Popularity wasn't a static, fixed pyramid-like concept, but an ever-shifting concept. Hayden and Marcus fit more in the middle of the group rather than at the top, though Hayden enjoyed a measure of popularity due to his good looks and athleticism. He and Marcus could best be classified as floaters in that they mixed easily with all cliques but didn't really belong to any of them.

They navigated the crowded lunch room, clutching their trays like life preservers in front of them. The morning had been a nightmare—how were they supposed to pay attention with all the noise floating in their head?

Hayden turned towards him. His blond hair looked as if he had run an egg-beater through it and it was clear he hadn't gotten much sleep. Marcus hadn't either. "So where is Julian anyway?"

"He's out on the quad," Marcus replied.

"How do you know?"

"Just follow his voice in your head. It'll come to you."

It was strange how they were gradually becoming used to this insanity. The chorus of voices almost seemed mundane now and they were gradually discovering the advantages of being tethered mentally to one another. But Hayden remained single-minded in his desire for answers and demanded that they seek out Julian.

The quad was the no-mans land of the system. The quad was where all the cast-offs and rejects from the complicated clique system wound out. They gathered in little groups at various points around the quad, like tuffs of fur on a mangy dog. Hayden and Marcus tiptoed passed the druggies and the goths as they scanned the quad for signs of Julian.

Julian sat on the far side of the quad, on one of the benches near the old basketball court, eating quietly. Marcus couldn't help but notice how cut off he was from the rest of the school; if he moved any further, he'd be off school property entirely.

Hayden turned to him. _So what do we say to him? _The thought shot through the link before he had time to say it aloud.

_I don't know. Just follow me, _he said as they made their way across the quad.

They had all heard the stories about him. Mysterious incidents seemed to follow Julian wherever he went, weirdness emanating from him like a plague. It had practically become habit to blame everything that went wrong on him somehow; he knew some people blamed him for missing pets and lost jewelry, though no one could prove any of it. They had heard all these stories since childhood, and though they weren't sure whether they were true, it was hard not to call up these tales when they had heard them all their life.

Julian whirled around and stared, focusing his full gaze upon them. No one had eyes like his, dark grey with smoky rings around the pupils; they were the eyes of a predator sizing up its prey. "Don't bother," Julian said in a flat voice, "I already know why you're here."

"You do now?" Hayden circled him carefully.

"You think I'm responsible for the voices in your head, so you've decided to beat me up over it."

"Hey, nobody's going to beat anybody up," Marcus said. He would not look at Julian as he talked but focused his gaze on the ground.

"Your friend is thinking about it, though." He turned his back to them.

"Look," Hayden said, "we just want answers."

"Fine. You want answers? Then I'll give them to you. I have no idea what is going on with the crystals or anything else." He turned his back to them. Hayden spied the gold chain around Julian's neck. He grabbed it and pulled until he saw a red, tear-drop shaped crystal appear.

"Hey." Julian flailed at him. "What are you doing?"

"Hayden, let him go," Marcus said.

"This can't all be coincidence," Hayden murmured as he paced. "I mean, we all happen to be hearing each other's voices in our heads and we all receive crystals. I know this whole thing sounds nuts, but there has to be something at work here."

"Well, whatever it is, I don't see how it concerns me, so leave me out of this," Julian said. Hayden and Marcus could feel the reverberations of his words through the link.

"Very well, if you're going to be that way about it..." They turned and walked away. Julian waited until they were a speck in the distance before he resumed eating his lunch. He fingered the crystal he wore about his neck. He knew it was silly but he felt safer wearing it.

He was starting to grow more accustomed to the voices in his head; he no longer felt afraid, not even when he heard the beast speak. The beast was a dragon, not a silly cartoon dragon, but a real fire-breathing dragon. The idea frightened him and filled him with awe, but yet he felt as though he had already known it for a very long time.

_I am Titus, but you may respectively refer to me as Dragon, _the beast said to him. His voice was deep low rumble and he could hear the smoke emanating from his nostrils as he talked. Julian didn't know how to respond to so ancient and powerful a beast. It frightened him and he turned his attention back to his schoolbooks.

Thankfully there was one secret Hayden and Marcus hadn't managed to pry out of him: the secret of the book. He pulled it out from his backpack. It was a weighty ancient tome held together by a worn leather cover decorated with strange emblems. It was a strange old book but Julian liked it, though it like everything else as of late, both frightened and worried him.

He had no clue how he came to possess said tome. He found it in his backpack yesterday with the crystal. It looked like something that belonged in a museum but when he last looked upon its pages, they were empty. He couldn't understand why someone would create so weighty a tome and leave it empty. It made no sense. Of course how he came to possess it in the first place made little if any sense. Why would this strange book suddenly appear among his schoolbooks?

He opened the book and breathed in its scent. It smelt of dust and worn leather and parchment. He stroked the pages, so worn with age that felt fragile beneath his fingertips. As he studied it, he could see strange shapes appear on the page, faint at first, but gradually the stain grew darker and darker. It reminded him of an old experiment he had done in science class with lemon juice and a hair dryer: at first the design, drawn in lemon juice, was very faint, but when heat was applied, it became clear.

But this was no simple science experiment. Something was at work her. He could feel it, like loose electricity, in the air. A pulse seemed to travel from the book to him; Julian dropped it in alarm. The bell rang and he gathered his things and went back inside, leaving the strange book on the cold pavement.

He couldn't sleep that night. Something had possessed him; the thoughts in his head kept churning and churning. He crawled out of bed, careful not to disturb his little brother who shared his bed, and tiptoed out of the room. If he couldn't sleep there was no point in keeping Jake up as well. He walked out into the living room/dining room and stared at the little clock above the TV. 2:30 a.m. It was going to be a long night.

He paced around the confines of the small room. It occurred to him that he hadn't heard his mother come in. She hadn't left a note saying she'd be out, but then again that was hardly unusual for her.

Something grew warm against his skin. He frantically searched for the source of the heat before found it, the crystal he wore about his neck. He stared at it in wonder as it glowed softly, like a firefly's light. What was happening now? A feeling rose within him as he remembered the events of the afternoon, and he knew even before he reached into his backpack that it was waiting for him, that strange book. He didn't know how he knew this anymore than he could explain the voices in his head, the crystal, or how he'd gotten the book in the first place. Nothing made any sense.

He slid the book cautiously out of his bag as though he expected it to burst into flame any minute. He set it down on the table and opened it, using the light from his crystal to illuminate its pages. "All right," he said, "now tell me what I need to know."


	6. Chapter 6

He didn't know why he was rushing off in the dead of night; nothing he did made any sense anymore. All he could say was that something within him was driving him onward, rushing him towards his destiny. He ran, his bare feet pounding against the pavement, until he found himself on the edge of a forest.

There was a battle being waged, between what appeared to be a kitsune and two warriors dressed in yellow and blue. Julian's eyes went wide with recognition. Those warriors were Hayden and Marcus, the same guys who had shook him down for information earlier. They were now struggling to keep their footing against the fox beast.

Julian felt something grow warm beneath his shirt. He lifted the glowing crystal from about his neck. He could hear the beast's spirit that spoke through it calling to him, could hear every cell in his body calling on him to act, but he didn't know what to do. What was he supposed to do at a time like this?

He stared at the crystal in his hand. "Okay, I admit it—I have no idea what to do—but I don't want to let them die. Even they don't deserve that. Give me strength to do what I need to do." He closed his eyes and whispered, "I summon the Force of Ages."

He had no idea how he knew the incantation; it felt like something he had always known, like the words had just been sitting inside him waiting to come out. Immediately he realized something was happening to him. He was changing. He could feel himself being clad in the finest raiment and feel himself becoming stronger and stronger. When the crystal's glow had faded, he stood in the midst of the forest dressed in red. _ Okay, _he thought as he stared at the kitsune, _time to take care of this. _

He felt no fear as he rushed at the beast, only a sense of duty. This was what he was supposed to do, what he was meant to do, what he had been created to do. As he drew closer and closer to the beast, the more certain he became of this fact.

He swung at the kitsune. The kitsune easily deflected his blows, flitting from branch to branch as it laughed. Julian stared. How on earth had he allowed himself to become all mixed up in this? It was a question clearly on all their minds as they struggled to track the creature's movements.

_Screw this, _he heard Hayden say, _I'm not going to wait for him to come to me. I'm going after him. _Hayden leapt into the trees after the kitsune. Marcus and Julian tried to follow after but could not keep up.

Hayden summoned a set of strange-looking weapons, a pair of gauntlets tipped with claws. He slashed at the kitsune's hide. The kitsune howled with pain and swung, flinging Hayden to the ground. Julian and Marcus gathered around him. _Are you okay? _Marcus asked.

_Yeah, I've felt worse, _he said with his consummate smugness.

_How did you summon those weapons? _

_ I don't know. It's hard to explain. It's like I knew they would be there but I didn't know they would be there._

_ That makes no sense, _Julian said.

_Well, excuse me for living. _

_ Guys, I think you'd better cool it. _Marcus pointed as the kitsune got to its feet, clutching its bleeding arm. Suddenly the insanity of all this seemed abundantly clear. What the hell were they doing fighting monsters? Who did they think they were, Jackie Chan? Even Jackie Chan had more than enough sense than this, but despite every cell of their being screaming, "Run," their feet remained rooted to the earth. _Ready..._ Julian whispered. They nodded and reached for their weapons and for a moment, they felt time slow down. The Kitsune came but they were ready for it. They slashed. The monster fell to the ground and they watched as it finally died. Then they turned to each other.

_Did what I just think happened actually happened or is this some weird dream? _Marcus asked.

_ It happened, _Julian said. _I don't know about you, but my dreams are no where near this realistic. _

_ So what now? _Hayden asked.

_Good question. _There was a rustle in the trees. They turned their heads. There, standing in the moonlight was the white ranger who had saved their town all those years ago.


	7. Chapter 7

She looked like an angel standing in the moonlight, her white and silver uniform shining, and though they could feel her mind in theirs, when they tried to feel her mind, they only ran into a cold wall.

She leapt down from the tree and started clapping slowly. "You've done well against your first opponent, but beware: this is only the beginning. Whoever sent this creature was only testing you. The next time won't be so easy. Which is why I must make one request of you: surrender your crystals to me. Let me face the monsters while you lead normal lives."

Julian turned towards his companions, still not entirely sure whether he was awake or dreaming. What should they do?

The white ranger sighed. "Well? Were none of you listening to me? I'm offering you a way out. Aren't you the least bit interested?"

"Maybe if we knew who you were, we'd be more inclined to listen to you," said Hayden. "After all, how do we even know you are who you say you are?"

"You know because I am offering you mercy, which is something your enemies would never do." She sighed. "I see you need some time to think this over. Know that my offer still stands." And with that, she left, leaving the rangers more confused than ever. They demorphed and turned to each other.

"Man, oh man." Hayden shook his head. "I think we have a top contender for the spot of 'Freakiest Experience Ever.'"

"I don't think it's a contest anymore," Marcus said. The two turned to walk home.

Julian was silent, pondering the white ranger's words. Should they have accepted her offer? He didn't know. All he knew was that he and Hayden and Marcus had been drafted into something big. "Wait," he said. Hayden and Marcus turned. He swallowed, feeling their eyes upon him. "We can't just walk away from all this. We need a plan."

"He's right. We've got to figure out what to do now," Hayden said.

They could still hear each others' voices flying fast and furious through the link and the whole night had been a dizzying, confusing one, but the one thing they could agree on was that they needed to figure out what to do next.

"Whaddya say we do some research?" Hayden said. "Cut school, go out of town, and do some information gathering, y'know maybe find out what exactly we're up against. Then maybe we'll consider the white ranger's offer."

"But band tryouts are tomorrow," Marcus said. "No way am I sitting last chair."

"If what we think is true, this could be a lot more important than band tryouts."

"So it's settled then. We skip school and go do some research." They nodded in agreement.

"I can't," Julian said. "I have to walk my brother to school. He's too little to walk by himself." He cringed, feeling like a baby. _Idiot..._

"No problem. We'll drop him off along the way, now where do you live. I'll pick you up," Hayden said.

Julian rattled off his address. "So I'll see you then, I guess." The boys nodded and walked off.

_He looks like a rotting corpse, _Theta thought. But she was careful not to let her thoughts show as she reported to him. "The rangers defeated your monster."

Lord Umbrus rested on his throne, his body little more than gaunt flesh wrapped in a black shroud. But she still loved him. He was her sun and stars, the father of her child. So she knew she must tread carefully, now that it was known that the red warrior was her son.

"It's all right, Theta." He stroked her pale face. "I didn't expect the monster to succeed in anything but drawing them out. That's what I wanted the monster to do and that's what it did. Now we may move forward with our next step."

"And that would be?" She raised an eyebrow.

"I need you to go and summon Tom Shadow."

"What?!"

"Now, Theta, I know you were never fond of Tom Shadow, but we need his skills if we are to stand against the rangers. Go and bring him back for me."

"But..."

"Those are my orders, Theta. Now please, I need to feed."

She rolled up her sleeves and offered him her arm and tried not to scream as he sank his teeth into her flesh.

Breakfast was awkward to say the least. Not as awkward as the day, she had to tell him his children were dead, but still awkward.

Dr. Wyrek pushed his glasses up his nose as he wheeled himself to the table. "Had a late night, didn't you, Tatiana?"

She felt a lump rise in her throat. She'd rather hoped he didn't know. "Yeah, the ranger business is acting up again."

Dr. Wyrek sighed. "Look, Tatiana, I'm not going to stop you from doing whatever you feel you have to do. I just want you to promise me you'll be careful."

"I will. I promise." She didn't know who was at work this time, but this time, there was going to be no cutting around. She was going to get the crystals, defeat whoever's responsible for this, and be done with it. No fuss, no muss. After all it wasn't like she hadn't done it before.

She flipped the flapjacks as she mulled over the information from last night. She had rather expected the kids to jump for joy at her offer—hell, she had run from her first battle—but they hadn't. Still, she wasn't too worried. They're kids. Instant things start to get difficult; they'll be begging her to take the crystals.

The only one she was worried about was the red one, the Daniels boy. Why would the spirit of the dragon chose to settle on him? There hadn't been a half-demon yet who didn't end up joining the Host of demons and she was scared. If he went to the other side with that kind of power...But no, she wouldn't worry. He's a kid, a dumb stupid kid who has no idea what he's in for.

Julian would have slept all day if it weren't for his brother bounding in at seven in the morning. He groaned and rubbed his eyes. He barely remembered the events of last night and the only reason he knew it wasn't some bizarre dream was because he still had the crystal. Then he remembered: he'd agreed to meet with Hayden and Marcus.

He made a quick breakfast for himself and Jake and tried to look cheerful as he prattled on about school, not an easy feat on only a few hours of sleep. But he managed to herd Jake out the door.

He had rather hoped that Hayden and Marcus would have forgotten their little deal, but sure enough they were waiting for them parked outside his apartment in Hayden's yellow Chevy. "Hey, Jake, we're getting a ride to school. Is that okay?" Jake nodded and the two climbed in.

They dropped him off at school and sped off. Julian sat in the backseat, feeling more like an outsider than ever. Years of torment had forced him to develop a finely honed sense of paranoia, so he watched Hayden and Marcus carefully.

They didn't say much to each other; they didn't have to. With the psychic link in place, thoughts flew to and fro from them at such a speed that there seemed no need for them to talk. It was almost deafening, having to deal with so much sound, but he was gathering important information. They were like him, reeling from the events of last night and wondering too, if they should accept the white ranger's offer.

"Here we are," Hayden said as he pulled into a spot in front of the college library.

"Thanks for the ride," Julian said.

He shrugged. "Don't mention it."

The library was the oldest building on campus. It was one of the first structures built in Midwich and had endured years of students climbing in and out its doors. The three walked in.

_I wonder where we'll find the information under, _Marcus whispered.

_No need to whisper. I'm pretty sure no one can hear us, _said Hayden.

They gathered armloads of books about Midwich and ducked into one of the study carrels to begin studying, but all the information was the same. Some guy named Julian Daniels went nuts, became a demon king, and summoned a load of demons to destroy the town, and all but one of the rangers before them died fighting him. It was interesting stuff but nothing really helpful.

Julian reached in his backpack and pulled out the thick, weighty book from last night. _Guys, _he said, _I found this last night when I got my crystal. It might be able to help us. _ They studied the tome. At first its yellowed pages appeared blank but gradually brown text appeared on the pages.

**Salutations. ** It said.** We are the ones who came before you. We are of many bloods and names, but you may call us the Grimoire. Welcome to the Order.**

"My life has turned into something from Harry Potter." Hayden buried his head in his hands.

They watched as slowly maps and information appeared on the pages.

**We are the four mythical beasts, a Gryphon, a Unicorn, a Dragon, and a Phoenix. Many years ago, we lived. Now we are confined to mechanical forms. The enemy is on the move. You must be ready to stand tall and fight. No doubt you are frightened but do not be afraid. We will stand with you.**

As the words appeared on the page, they became aware of a presence, a strange, animalistic yet ancient presence within their heads.

**You have each been chosen for a special purpose. We would not have chosen you if we did not think you were strong enough. Trust in our strength, a gift from the All-father himself, and it will serve you well. **

**Be brave, little ones. The war has just begun and your first real test of courage will be upon you soon. **

Dr. Ducard sat at his desk grading papers. This year was going to be an interesting one to say the least. He had so much planned for this lot. He was not all surprised when Theta appeared. She grabbed him by the arm. "Come with me. Lord Umbrus wishes to see you," she spat.

Dr. Ducard laughed. His clothing changed from suit and tie, to a green and black jester's uniform. "Now, Theta, no need to be so rough, though I know you enjoy that sort of thing, I would happily go to help our master in his time of need."

"You weren't so happy last time. Where were you when Tatiana killed him? Why didn't you rise to defend him then?"

"I've told you a thousand times that I couldn't. Defeating the Thames boy drained me of nearly all my magic. I wouldn't have been any help to Lord Umbrus in the shape I was in."

"A likely story I'm sure. Know this, Tom Shadow, if I find out you're lying to me, I'll kill you." Sparks flew from her fingertips.

Tom Shadow sighed and dodged her attack. He yawned. "Is that all you can do? Well, if we must play this tiresome game, Theta, if you make any moves against me, I'll tell Lord Umbrus about the child you had with another man." Then he laughed, shifting in and out of a form, Theta knew all too. That man...A series of images danced through her head: a dark night in an alley, breath stinking of whiskey, his hands all over her body...

Tom Shadow sprang from his seat and skipped into a portal, leaving Theta behind. Theta stood silently in the classroom, tears running down her face. Then she followed him through the portal.


	8. Chapter 8

"So this is what I've been summoned for." Tom Shadow bowed to Umbrus. "To deal with a bunch of snot-nosed brats?" He played with the chess pieces lined up along the board. Theta watched him closely; her cat-like pupils narrowed as she studied him.

"I would remind you that it was a bunch of snot-nosed kids who defeated me the last time," Lord Umbrus rasped.

"So you've summoned me to play my little games with the rangers?"

"In a word, yes. But I must lay down a few ground rules. First of all, you are not to harm my son, not unless circumstances force you. Second, Tatiana's life belongs to me. I have a feeling that she'll come to us, so you need not trouble yourself looking for her; she's mine."

"Agreed." Then he gave a little bounce, causing the bells on his cap to jingle.

"Now go." Lord Umbrus waved a bony hand, granting him permission to leave.

She still has scars, pale ridges of flesh covering her front and back. She sees them everyday when she is undressed. They form a strange sort of map of every battle she's ever been in and though she hates them, she also cherishes the memories that come with them. If it weren't for this ranger business, as she calls it, she never would have met Hanna, James, and Micah, never would have had her first real kiss, never would have joined her first real family.

But there's a darker side to these memories, one that's always lurking close by. Every time, she remembers the joys her friends brought her, she can't help but remember losing them.

Most of her scars can be covered with clothing. The ones that can't, she uses make-up. She doesn't need a stranger catching wind of them and asking her some uncomfortable questions. She buttoned up her blouse, making sure to tuck her crystal. She had forgotten how heavy it was; this was why she must figure out how to get the kids' crystals before it's too late.

She grabbed the slip of paper containing the address then slid into her BMW. 151 Main Street, located where all the cheap tourist traps; that's where she'd find Deborah Daniels, aka the wife of the same Julian Daniels who rained hell on Midwich all these years ago.

In retrospect, she probably shouldn't have let Deborah walk, all those years ago. But she was only eighteen then, and she was tired, in both body and spirit. The battle against Umbrus had sapped every last bit of strength she had, and she hadn't the heart to slay an ordinary woman, especially one that was crying. But that was then, this was now. Now she was ready to do whatever was required to protect Midwich.

She parked the car and headed down the street towards Dusty's Diner, when she saw someone she hadn't seen in a long time. "Philip?" she whispered. She felt her heart lurch. Yes, there he was, Philip Thames, sauntering down the sunny street.

She hadn't seen him in nineteen years, ever since...No, she will not think of the terrible day she buried the last of her family. But immediately, her mind went to that day, how Philip had stood by his grief-stricken parents as the service was conducted, how he placed a rose on his brother's coffin, and had been the first to throw a clump of dirt onto the coffin.

She didn't remember much about that day; she only saw it in fragments. She was surprised to see how handsome he was. She'd forgotten that. She shouldn't be too surprised though. _Just like his brother, _she thought. She tried to hide the blush in her cheeks and tried to appear as stone-faced as possible when he approached her.

"Hello, Tatiana." His tone was warm and friendly but she made a habit of seldom trusting anyone. She had been burned so many times.

"Hello," she said, hoping this would be the last of it. Surely he had some other reason for being in Midwich, besides wanting to talk to her. "How did you find me?"

"I called Dr. Wyrek. He said you might be here."

She silently cursed her father under her breath. "I'm just running a few errands." She plastered on her best "every-day" smile. If she had learned anything from being a ranger, it was important to keep up appearances.

He smiled back. "Look, I'm sorry to have to cut to the chase here, but I have a few errands of my own I need to take care of, but maybe tomorrow, we can get together. There are some things we need to talk about."

What could he possibly want to talk about? She wasn't sure she wanted to know. It wasn't like she had ever been too chummy with him or his parents and she had no intention of starting now. She smiled. "I'm sorry but I can't. My schedule is just too full right now. " And with that, she walked away, before hearing his response.

Dusty's Diner was filled with its usual bunch of regulars, tourists mostly. Thanks to this ranger business, the town has become a hotspot for voyeurs who want to see where the three power rangers died. They'd become such a nuisance, trampling over stones in the graveyard, that the town erected a formal memorial the past rangers, but it did little to detour them.

She found Deborah working the register, her bleached blonde bangs hanging in her face. Tatiana had seen pictures of her in the past—she had been a lovely slip of a girl with long, dark hair to her waist—and found it hard to reconcile that image with the one she saw before her, the middle-aged woman who had bleached her hair until it was the colour and texture of straw. She looked so abject and miserable behind the counter, wearing the tacky aprons required of all workers at Dusty's, but Tatiana could not give a damn about her misery, not after what her husband put the town through. She walked up to the counter.

"Hello, welcome to Dusty's, how may I help you? Care to try today's special: it's..."

"I don't care what today's special is." Tatiana leaned over the counter. "I want to know if you know anything about any new ranger business."

Deborah gave kind of a laugh/cry. Then her face went deathly serious. "If you really want to know, meet me at Breeds' Hill when the moon rises." Then she turned away from Tatiana and resumed taking care of customers.

Tatiana left the store. She wondered was Deborah jesting with her or if she really knew something. Right now, it seemed safest to bank on her knowing something.

She supposed the right thing to do would be to go to the Daniels's boy with her suspicions but she decided for now to hold onto it. Information can be a very useful bargaining tool.

Hayden didn't quite know why but he found himself taking Julian and his brother to school again. He's not fully sure why; they may have slain a monster together, but that didn't make them friends. Besides, Julian's eyes made his skin crawl.

It was before first period. Most of the people were hanging around the halls, chatting. Marcus had already left for band practice, so he was alone with Julian. Thankfully, Julian didn't seem in the mood to chat so Hayden was spared the burden of making conversation. The psychic link was there, but they were getting better at controlling it, directing the stream of thought like water through the boughs of a ship.

He was even starting to get used to the Gryphon's voice in the back of his head. It was surprising how quickly he found himself adjusting to all this weirdness. He'd never thought he'd be dealing with monsters and demons and mythical beasts, yet here he was.

He watched as that creep, Jeff Thompson, came swaggering up to Julian. _Oh great, _he thought, _just what we need, another testosterone-poisoned idiot. _

"Well what do we got here." Jeff Thompson had to be at least a whole head taller than Julian and about fifty pounds heavier. Julian backed away. "I-I don't want any trouble," he stammered.

"I don't want any trouble," Jeff mimicked in a sing-song voice. He lunged and grabbed Julian by the throat. But within minutes, his expression slid from arrogance to surprise to one of horror. He screamed and pulled away from Julian. He stared at his hands. "What did you do to me, you little freak?!"

Hayden stared. Thompson's hands had been charred and were now covered with blisters. What had Julian done to him? He remembered how at the moment Thompson grabbed him, Julian's eyes had changed in a way he couldn't quite describe. Just that he seemed even wilder and more feral than he had before. He turned to ask Julian about it, but Julian was running far away from him and despite his best efforts, he could not reach him.


	9. Chapter 9

He ran, feet pounding hard against the pavement, running from school, and past stores. He ran, trying to get away from the noise in his head. He could hear Hayden talking to Marcus, telling him to keep an eye on him, talking about what he did to Jeff Thompson's hands. Hayden was afraid and he could feel his fear sparking like electricity through the link.

He ran from Dragon, who tried to comfort him in his deep, low voice, but most of all he ran from the white ranger. Even though he still didn't know her name, he knew her thoughts, could hear her repeating to herself over and over again that there hadn't been a half-demon yet who didn't end up joining the Host.

There was something wrong with him. The more he ran, the more he remembered other strange incidents from his childhood. How books flew off shelves and glass broke whenever he got angry. How someone or something smashed up Mr. Johnson's apartment after he took his bike. How anyone who tried to get close to him, inevitably received bruises and wounds in return. The more he thought, the more incidents stacked up like cordwood in his mind, and the truth became very clear: he was a freak, no, a monster.

There was another presence inside him, one that wasn't Dragon or Hayden or Marcus, a dark, small voice that whispered to him, something that delighted in hurting people. If he was truly honest he would admit that on some level he's always been aware of this voice. After all, hasn't he spent most of his childhood hating the small-minded people of Midwich and wishing he could bring down the entire town? He knew this on some level was true, which was why he kept running, racing down the streets until he found himself in the forest outskirts of Midwich.

Marcus tried to focus on his music and on conductor Morales, but Hayden's voice kept nagging at him like a mosquito and he soon lost his place in the music. _Marcus...Marcus...We need to talk. _

_ What is it, Hayden? It had better be good. _

_ It's Julian. I think we need to keep an eye on him. _And he described the incident with Jeff Thompson but he need not have to. The story of what had happened to Jeff Thompson was all over school, and he had a feeling the truth had been somewhat exaggerated. _C'mon Hayden, no one can burn someone by touching them. _

_ And monsters aren't real and neither are Gryphons or Unicorns. _

Then there was silence. Marcus took a deep breath. _Well what are we going to do? What can we do?_

_ Maybe we can convince him to give his crystal to the white ranger. At least that way he won't have that source of power. _

_ Or we could take it from him. _There was a pause and they both felt a little unclean for suggesting the idea. Dragon had chosen him; maybe he knew something they didn't.

_Look, maybe it's nothing, but I think we need to keep an eye on him. Maybe be ready to take care of him if we have to. _He hadn't meant to send the last part but it slipped through.

Marcus was silent. Did they really have to take care of Julian? That sounded like something the mafia would do, not power rangers. But both Hayden and the white ranger seemed to think so. He could hear her repeating to herself over and over again, "There hasn't been a half-demon yet that didn't end up in the arms of the Host."

But then they felt something, that strange change of wind that had guided them that night to the Kitsune. Marcus sighed, put down his flute, and ran out of the band room. So much for his dreams of first-chair this year.

Julian was battling the enemy, a beast that looked like an unholy combination of a deer and a dragon. He nodded at them and continued wrestling with the beast. He smashed the monster in the face, causing the Kirin to lose his grip. Then he summoned his blade. He turned to Hayden and Marcus. _Took you long enough. _

There was a coldness in his voice that they recognized immediately. He had to have heard every word of that conversation they had had via the link. But there was no time to rehash old conflicts, not when there was a monster on the loose.

The Kirin screeched and fired blue energy, flinging the rangers to the ground. Hayden lay there, dazed. Julian reached out to him. "Are you okay?" Hayden nodded. "Then let's school this sucker."

They summoned their weapons. Never had Hayden felt more ready for anything than he did now. They charged, slashing the monster to bits. They watched as the monster fell to the ground. But their joy was short-lived. Soon the monster was gigantic.

_What the Hell?! _ Hayden rolled out of the way of the monster's tracks.

But then they heard the voice of their spirits telling them of a new power: the great metal bodies that allowed them to leave the world of spirit and fight in the world of man.

The choice to answer the beasts' call was almost instinctive as was nearly every decision they had made so far. They waited for the metal beasts to come to them and leapt inside.

Words could not describe the joy they felt behind the controls of the powerful machines. Suddenly they were riding high above the world, moving faster than any other being on the planet.

Hayden took the controls of the Gryphon. "Okay this is hands down, the coolest experience in my life."

"Agreed," Julian and Marcus said.

Now that they were secure in the metal frames of the beasts, the monster no longer seemed as big as he had before; it seemed a piddling, inadequate thing. "Ready?" Julian asked.

He didn't need to ask: they had never felt more ready for anything in their lives. Unicorn charged the Kirin, goring it with its horn. He threw it up in the air and together, Gryphon and Dragon brought it down.

They sighed as the monster finally was finished. But Julian still bore a solemn expression on his face. _We have to go help the white ranger. I fear she has gotten herself in over her head. _


	10. Chapter 10

Tatiana paced Breed's Hill, smelling the earth. Even after all these years, it still smelt freshly charred. She wondered if that smell would ever go away.

Years ago, Breed's Hill had been another part of the woods of Midwich, lush and green, but her battle with Umbrus had left the land a blasted ruin, an ugly gray scab on an otherwise perfect landscape. The town fathers, in their infinite wisdom, had tried several times to bring life back to Breed's Hill by planting new trees, but every tree they planted, withered and died. It didn't seem like life would ever come back to this land.

The sky had turned deep blue and Venus was out. Soon the moon would be out as well and then, assuming Deborah didn't lie to her, they would finally be able to settle this once and for all.

Her hands shook. Strange how after so many fights, her hands still shook before every fight. She hoped she would have the strength to hold her katanas.

Deborah appeared, stepping gingerly over the hill. Life had not been kind to her in the years following the war and it showed. Her once lovely face was now puffy and blotchy; she had apparently applied her makeup with a trowel in an attempt to hide her misery. "Hey." She waved half-heartedly to Tatiana but Tatiana didn't wave back. She was too busy sizing up her opponent.

"So what is it you want to tell me?" she said. Deborah leaned in close until her mouth practically touched Tatiana's ear. "Umbrus lives..." she whispered.

"Excuse me?"

Deborah leapt around gleefully. "Umbrus lives, Umbrus lives!" she shouted. Then she laughed, not a "someone told a joke" laugh but a crazed hyena laugh. As she laughed, she changed: her skin turned pale and her hair turned purple.

Tatiana rolled her eyes. "And I'm supposed to be impressed?" Theta hissed and eyed the sky warily.

Suddenly the sky darkened. Tatiana looked up. There were crows, thousands and thousands of crows, flapping and cawing at once. Her heart sank. _Oh no...Please God no..._ Then she saw a sight she never wanted to see again.

Death had not been kind to Lord Umbrus...Last time she saw him, he barely looked human any more; now he looked even less. _He looks like a rotting corpse..._ He looked like the only thing holding him together was the black shroud wrapped around him. "Ill met by moonlight, proud Tatiana," he said. "I had rather hoped the years would have taught you something. But alas, that was too much to hope for." He waved his hand. A horde of foot-soldiers called Zezami appeared, grey men held together by swathes of fabric.

She stared at the horde of Zezami surrounding her. A lesser man or woman would have been afraid, but not Tatiana. After what she had been through nineteen years ago, she didn't think she could ever be afraid again. She shifted into a fighting stance. "Bring it on."

It rather frightened her how much she delighted in battle. The way her fists and limbs ached, the sweat pouring the down her face and back, it was an experience like few on earth. She hadn't felt so alive in a long time.

She hadn't lain idle those nineteen years; she had spent them training to become even faster and stronger than before. In fact she was probably in better shape now than she had been at the final battle all those years ago. Back then she had been as skinny as a plucked crow; now she was all muscle.

She kicked and punched her way through the horde. It frightened her, a little, that her best skill was in inflicting pain, but she didn't care. In a fight it was kill or be killed; there was no time to think, only to act and react.

The more she knocked down, the more arose to take their place, forcing her to morph. She drew her katanas. "All right, who wants to be next?" She spun in a circle, slashing and stabbing, and smiled with grim satisfaction, as the last Zezami returned to the earth from where it came.

Umbrus clapped slowly. "Bravo. Nice to see you haven't lost anything with age."

"I've only gotten stronger," Tatiana snapped.

"So have I." He turned to Theta. "Let's dance."

Tatiana steeled herself and charged. Her heart was still pumping hard from the last fight and she had no doubt she'd be able to go a few rounds with Umbrus and Deborah. After all, she'd done this dance before.

Theta was swift, almost feral, as she screeched and attacked with her claw-like nails. But her ranger gear protected her from Theta's blows even if Theta could get closer to her.

It was Umbrus she was worried the most about. Here was a man who felt no pain. He traded blows as calmly as one might discuss the weather, never making a grunt or grimace as they fought. She drove her blade into his side. But the blow didn't faze him.

Tatiana barely managed to remove her blade in time to parry another blow from Theta. The excitement she had felt earlier was starting to wear off, now that she was in the thick of things. But she could defeat Umbrus; she knew she could.

She summoned her wings and flew around the battlefield, slashing and stabbing at her foes. "Phoenix Fire!" White flames encircled her blades. She drew her blades together and unleashed the flames upon Theta and Umbrus.

Theta shrank back in fear, the animal side her frightened by the flames. But Umbrus stood calmly as the flames burned at his shroud. "Theta," he said, "I think we can take the gloves off."

Theta cackled and fired stream after stream of purple energy. Tatiana cried out. Her blades were ripped from her hands. She did not see where they landed. The adrenaline was wearing off. She was getting tired. She breathed hard and clenched her fists. She had to do this. She had to keep fighting. _Hold together, hold together. _But before she could attack either Theta or Umbrus, her world turned black.

She was in some strange world. She could hear Umbrus all around her and feel her scars aching. "What the Hell..." She couldn't move; she was tied to a post. All around her shadow-men marched, moving perfectly in time with the beating of her heart the sound of which filled her ears. Then she noticed their blades and that's when she truly despaired.

"Oh no," she prayed. "Oh no, oh no, oh no..." But there was nothing but watch as the shadow-men stabbed her. She screamed.

At first she felt the pain of each blow, but after awhile it stopped. She'd feel the blades go in, but it was like they were stabbing a piece of meat, like she was already dead. The shadows lifted and she fell to the ground, breathing hard.

"It's a lie, it's a lie," she repeated, trying to regain her strength. But the trouble was while her mind knew it was a lie, her body didn't. Her body still felt the blows. Umbrus walked up to her. "Tsk...Tsk...I thought you would have lasted longer than that."

She winced and tried to crawl to her feet. But Umbrus stood on her back. "Any last words before I let my lovely consort finish you off?"

Before she could say or do anything, a flurry of blasts flew through the air. Umbrus fell to the ground. Tatiana turned her head, but she already knew who it was. "Those kids...those lousy kids..."

Sure enough, there they were, standing atop the hill, brandishing their weapons. Umbrus collected himself and started to perform another incantation, but before he could, he collapsed. Theta rushed to his side. She wrapped her arms around him and together they disappeared.

The kids rushed to her side, but Tatiana shoved them away. "Leave me alone, I'm fine," she said.

"Are you sure?" Julian asked.

She swore under her breath as she climbed to her feet. She dusted herself off and stared down the other rangers. "I could have beaten them," she said. "If I had your crystals, I could have finished him off and we wouldn't be in this mess."

"Hey, I think a thank you is in order," said Hayden. "Something along the lines of 'Thank you for saving me from Tall, Dark, and Icky, it was really nice of you.' And we'd say 'No big deal, just doing our jobs, ma'am.'"

Tatiana clenched her teeth. "You are a bunch of kids who have gotten lucky. But eventually your luck will run out and where will you be. I have tried to be nice about this but I think maybe I've been too nice to you." She stretched out her arm. "Give me the crystals, so I can make an end to all this."

"What?!" Curses flew fast and furious through Hayden's mind. But before he could say anything, Marcus stepped forward. "Look, I know you defeated the Big Bad alone, but you don't have to do that anymore. You've got us now. We can help you."

"Great just what I need: help from a bunch of snot-nosed brats, too young to vote or drink."

Julian had remained calm during this conversation—it wasn't like he hadn't experienced people rejecting him before—but he could no longer. "You know you could help us. Give us some of your knowledge instead of lording it above us."

_What does a half-demon know about anything...?_ That thought slipped through without Tatiana intending to, but Julian remained calm. "I do know that in order to get our crystals you either have to get us to surrender them willingly or win them from us in a fight. The Grimoire told me this."

_So they have the Grimoire, _Tatiana thought. She wasn't too threatened by this. Old parchment wasn't as helpful as cold steel in battle, besides she couldn't trust those spirits anymore.

Julian cleared his throat and continued. "So I thought I'd make a little wager with you. How about we fight, one on one, you and me? Let's see just how good your experience is. If I win, you have to reveal your identity to us."

"And if I win?"

"If you win, then we'll admit you were right and give you everything: the crystals, the zords, the Grimoire, you name it."

Hayden and Marcus blanched. _Are you sure about this?_

But Julian was not afraid. _Trust me, I'm ready. _

"I think we should establish some ground rules first," said Tatiana. "How about this? This test will be one of physical skill, so you may only use enough magic to keep you morphed and nothing more." _And none of your half-demon tricks. _

"Agreed." Julian bowed and drew his blade. Tatiana drew her katana. Then they began.

Tatiana knew she wasn't at her best. She was tired and worn out from fighting Umbrus and Theta, but she'd be damned before she'd back down from this challenge, not when the crystals are at stake. But she knew she had to be practical: no fancy tricks, just the basics. Focus on holding her ground and let Julian come to her. That was how she was going to play this.

Julian made his blows fast and furious, pounding at her hard. She gritted her teeth and tried to hold her ground, but he was gaining on her, slowly but surely. _Hold together..._

He disarmed her. Tatiana could only watch helplessly as her blades flew through the air and landed in the dirt. Julian pointed his blade at her throat. "Game, set, and match. Now you have to reveal who you really are."

Tatiana turned her back to him and demorphed. She turned around slowly, feeling as helpless as a newborn babe. She stared at Julian, trembling all the while.

Julian smiled. "Well, what do you know?" It wasn't too much of a surprise that Tatiana was the White Phoenix. There had been rumours for quite some time that the heir to the Wyrek estate was the fourth ranger. But still it shocked them to see her in the flesh.

She was tall, nearly six feet in height, but on the whole she was built more like an Amazon than a supermodel. She glared at them through grey eyes. Anger seemed to radiate from her very core, shooting off the top of her like sparks, but what struck Julian was the deep sadness reflected in her eyes.

"There," she said. "Now you know—happy now?" And she stormed off without saying another word.


	11. Chapter 11

The next few days seemed normal. Gradually they began to get used to the link. It was hard living with an echo chamber in their heads but gradually they learned to tune it out.

Tatiana kept to herself mostly. Her thoughts were the hardest to read. She knew the ins and outs of the link more than any of them, knew how to best shelter her thoughts from the rest of them. But her hatred for Julian was palpable.

But Julian was used to hatred. He had long since resigned himself to the fact that he would never belong in Midwich, so Tatiana's hatred didn't bother him. What he was concerned about were the yellow notes his brother had received from school.

He looked over the notes and turned to his brother, who stared at him, dark eyes wide. "Please don't be made at me, Julian. I tried to be good."

"I know you did," Julian said. He knew Jake didn't really mean to get into trouble; he just seemed to have a natural affinity for attracting it. The real problem was the school; it was obvious that first grade wasn't advanced enough for his brother, yet no one seemed to care.

He sighed as he reread the notes. Just his luck, Mom would have to be away working at a time like this, not that she'd be much help in situations like these. Last time she had to come to talk to one of his teachers, it ended in a screaming/crying match. He loved his mom but she wasn't very good at being a grownup.

He bent down to Jake's height. "Tell you what: I'll sign the notes for you. We'll keep it between you and me. Mom won't have to know about this, okay?"

Jake nodded. Julian took a pen, dashed off his mom's loopy signature, and handed the notes back to him. "Now, promise me, you'll stay out of trouble. Just be quiet, keep your head down, and stay out of the way of the bullies."

"I will," Jake said. He had always been a strange, solemn child, wise beyond his years. His mom often said that being a baby offended his dignity.

Julian prepared macaroni for the two of them, saving a little extra in case their mother came home and wanted something to eat, then packed Jake off for bed. He spent the rest of the evening pouring over the Grimoire. The enemy was back and he needed to be ready.

Tatiana pounded at the punching bag, still reeling from her humiliation at the hands of those kids. _Those kids…those damn…damn kids…_ Now that they knew she wasn't superhuman, she'd lost what power she had over them. But she wasn't finished yet.

The thought occurred to her—she could simply let a daemon finish them off, then collect the crystals herself, but she could not, would not allow that to happen. She had vowed "No more deaths," and dammit! She was going to keep that promise even if she had to pry those crystals from them herself.

It was the Daniels boy that worried her the most. Sure Hayden and Marcus might succumb to some sort of mischief, but their evil would be no worse than the ordinary evil of teenage boys. Julian…on the other hand, had the potential for so much more. She'd better watch him closely.

There was one important piece of information she possessed: she knew who his mother really was. Frankly, she was surprised he hadn't already guessed for himself, but those closest to someone are often the last to know. She wondered if she should tell him, but decided not to; she didn't need to give him any encouragement to cast his lot with the other side.

She turned as she heard the electric whirr of her father's wheelchair. She grabbed a towel and whipped off her sweat. "What is it?"

"Philip Thames is here. He wants to see you."

"Why didn't you send him away?"

"Because I'm your father, not your bouncer, Tatiana. Besides he really wants to talk to you. He's in the parlor."

She sighed. She had been trying to avoid Philip all week but she guessed it was time she bit the bullet and talked to him. "All right, I guess I'll see him." She started down the hall but Mr. Wyrek stopped her. "Before you go anywhere, let me just say, I know what you're up to. I won't try to stop you but please be careful. I've already buried two children; I don't want to lose a third."

"I will, Papa."

Philip waited for her. As soon as she saw him, her cheeks grew warm. The blood certainly ran hot in that family. "Hi," she said, feeling like the gawky, ugly teenager she had been when she last saw him, all those years ago, at the funeral.

If he was mad at her for avoiding her, he didn't show it. As she looked at him, her eyes welled with tears. God, he looked so much like his brother, or rather his late brother looked much like him: Philip was the elder by two years.

"Are you okay?" she heard him ask.

"I'm fine," she said, "just my allergies acting up." She dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief.

"Look," he said, "how about we go somewhere else to discuss this. I know a great Italian place."

"Sure," she said. _Dear Gods what have I gotten myself into?_ The thought slipped through the link before she had a chance to block it.


End file.
